To ask whether Lexi is a 'real' name?

[Liketochat1]

Having just commented on boys names that are drippy, I was put in mind of girl's names I don't especially like, because I don't think think they are 'real'. For example, Millie or Minnie and my biggest bugbear Lexi or Lexie. Aren't they just shortened versions of 'proper' names or nicknames? And I especially dislike Lexi as it rhymes with sexy. To me they are just all wrong!
What do you think? Are they real names? Are there any other names you think about like this?

Lexie, I'm 40 [wails] so sadly not :(

Now back to Tanith's rule:

Bryony is short for Bryonia (otherwise known as Flowering Cucumber).

Tanith Emily and Mabel seem to have very similar latin origins aemalia and amalia or something like that.

I never worked out why my grandad called my Nan Lizzie or Liz when her name was Mary

klad, it's sophia. It's perfectly easy to write in English, and Sophie is (technically) a shortening.

But most names come from words shortened and lengthened and played around with.

My mum got sniffy about a girl called 'Jacquetta' saying it wasn't a 'proper' name and should be Jacqueline. The name has been around since at least the 14th century!

I like Lexi and all the variations - Alexandra, Alexa, Alexie, Alexia. But then my name is a shortening that's been mentioned on this thread (and in use for centuries), so I would say that!

It's really nasty to talk about 'stripper names' in the context of children, btw.

Btw, I disagree that the names that end 'y' in English are short forms of names that end 'ia' in Latin (Emily, Mary, etc.). I'd say that's simply to do with how the two different languages form common endings, isn't it?

I was playing with the Greek LRD.

Sticks head above parapet

I have a daughter. She is called Alexandra. She is nicknamed Lexi at the moment (she's two) and is never ever referred to as Sexy Lexi.

She is named after a very much loved family member who died when I was pregnant.

Some of these comments are absurdly judgemental and horrible. Get a bloody grip.

Lol. You sound the one who is all overtired.

Oh, ok klad - how come we can't do greek letters on here btw? If you do preview they turn to squary things.

I have just noticed btw we're taking tips from someone who's named herself after a ladies' incontinence pad.

When I did a preview of the Greek letters they turned out like algebra. Yikes!

Damn you tenith! Damn you!!

Tut.

And I thought MN had a rep for being intellectual and all. Shocking.

I know/have known three people who go by Lexi/Lexie.

One is an Alexandra,
One is an Alexis,
And one is Alexia.

Question: What makes a name? Does it have to have "meaning" or historical precedents? Or can it just be random collection of letters? So, could i, for instance call a child Kioooeeee? or Kiaria? or ollypollypoola? or something?

If I saw Kiaria I'd assume it was related to Chiara, or Clare.

But yes ... I suppose there's a tipping point, isn't there, when a name becomes popular enough to stop being 'what an odd collection of letters' to a real recognizable name.

I love all those Victorian doom-and-gloom ones, children called Sorrowful, that sort of thing - but then Hope and Temperence have caught on, and I did hear that since the TV series Bones got popular, the name Temperence has had a bit of a renaissance in the US!

Holly isn't short for anything is it?

I like Lexie. I know three, two of them are Alexandra but the other was christened Lexie. I can't see that it's any 'less' of a name than any other diminutive.

Lucy here in Sweden a while back one lot of parents were prosecuted for naming their baby Brfxxccxxmnpcccclllmmnprxvclmnckssqlbb11116 (pronounced Albin). His passport now has his name as Icke Namngivet Gossebarn (Unnamed Little Boy) :(

manic - wiki says it's from Old English 'holen' (who knew?), so I guess not.

I have to say, I love nick-names. Russian names have dozens of them, and Alexy/Alexa seem fairly popular there so maybe that is why there are so many versions over here too?

klad that's awful!

Holly comes from the Old English holen meaning holly tree.

haha, fair enough. Good to know.

LRD it was a protest against outdated strict naming laws here. You can't name your child what you like. When your baby is born you get sent a list of pre-approved named, if you want anything else you have to seek permission. I can understand the motivation, but to do that to your child ...

Yes - I can understand it but poor child! If they wanted to protest, is there a way to change your own name by deed poll? They should have done that, if so.

Lexi used to be a more unusual name but now it is, if I remember correctly, in the top ten of girls' names so there are obviously an awful lot of people naming their daughters what I personally love as a name.

I too have been subjected to the Lexi is a stripper's name which I thought very thoughtless and unnecessary. In the same way nearly every name can have a rhyming word attached some better than other - what about "plain Jane"? .

In Lexi's defence it has become popular through a footballer and amanda Holden naming their daughters Lexie as well as a character in Emmerdale and now I understand a baby in Eastenders!!

No, you have to submit an application to the tax office for approval. There are all sorts of restrictions eg they won't approve double barrel names (first or surnames), they don't like names which are gender neutral, made up names, and my personal favourite it cannot have more letters in than there are spaces on a standard tax return form. :o

It is becoming more common OlympicWidow, I know in Scotland there were more children named both Lexi and Lexie than Alexandra in the last year or two. Funny, we got no references to footballers or Amanda Holden - it was "ooh like Monarch of the Glen"

So what names would you all pick for yourselves? I think I would have quite liked to be Morgana but my WoW name is Moggles.